Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday criticized the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) Government for levying a 125% tax on defence canteen stores in Telangana and urged the affected personnel to walk down to the State Secretariat demanding its reduction.
“I am shocked at this hefty tax. It is a brazen attack against our defence personnel and their families. Are you not going to question this government? Send a strong message by not voting for the ruling party,” she told a gathering of ex-servicemen and their families at Vayupuri and urged them to vote for the party veteran and former MLC N. Ramchander Rao contesting from the Malkajgiri Assembly constituency.
“While Prime Minister Narendra Modi is thinking about the welfare of armed forces personnel and ex-servicemen all the time, we have a government here levying a 125% tax on defence personnel buying their daily essential provisions like flour, oil, shampoo or suitcases. We are not levying such a tax in GST. What should we make of it in levying such a tax on those ready to sacrifice their lives for the nation?” she wondered aloud.
